Commission hosts new Members States aeronautics workshop

The recent enlargement of the EU has brought ten new Member States into the European fold, many of which have strong national aeronautics legacies. On 8 September 2005, a major workshop in Brussels addressed how to promote their involvement in European aeronautics and air transport research.

“This meeting comes at a crucial time,” said Head of
EU Aeronautics Research Liam Breslin. “As we near the end of
the Union’s Sixth Framework Programme and prepare for the
Seventh, the key for the new Member States is access. Each of you
comes to the Union with your own unique history and expertise in
the field of aeronautics, strongly linked to political events that
have shaped Europe and the world. The goal now is to compete on an
equal footing with other EU members and the Commission is here to
help you.”

From vision to reality

The EU’s vision for aeronautics is guided by the Strategic
Research Agenda, a groundbreaking document formulated by the
Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE). It
sees two fundamental goals for European air transport in the
future –meeting society’s needs for air transport
and making Europe the world industrial leader in the aeronautics
sector.

Speaking to more than 60 assembled delegates representing both
young and old Member States as well as European industrial,
research and institutional players, Jack Metthey, Director of the
Commission’s Research DG Transport Directorate, said,
“The Airbus A380 story is a prime example of shared European
success in the transport sector. The key there has been the
involvement of a wide-ranging and fully integrated industrial
system. This includes the major companies and their supply chains
but also education, which supplies the minds and enthusiasm that
are our future. The key word for the new Member States and for this
workshop must be integration. The next Framework Programme will be
the most ambitious we have ever undertaken, including a rich
palette of means and instruments for making the ACARE vision a
reality. We want to bring you into the European aeronautics family,
into the ACARE process.“

Representing EU Research Commissioner Janez Potočnik, Kurt
Vandenberghe said, “The Commissioner attaches great
importance to European aeronautics. Our ultimate goal is to turn
knowledge into commercial success and in this sense the aeronautics
sector is already a model. For the new Member States, making a real
contribution is a challenge but also an opportunity. You are facing
the prospect of major restructuring, a process which should be
guided by the EU Framework Programme. The Commission is committed
to involving you and supporting you and I can tell you that, for
Commissioner Potočnik, making enlargement a success is not
just a personal priority, but a major strategic step for
Europe.”

A variety of perspectives

The workshop, entitled ‘Developing new Member
States’ capabilities in aeronautics
research’ included top EU officials, distinguished
speakers from the research, industrial and academic communities,
and representatives of ACARE.

Topics included:

Aeronautics and air transport research activities under the
Union’s Research Framework Programme;

Experience and best practice of Member States;

Best practice from industry and research;

Challenges and constraints for the new Member States;

Ways and means of collaboration and integration;

New Member States’ contributions to the ACARE
process.

Newcomers express their views

The new Member States are indeed facing some stiff challenges in
the aeronautics sector, in some cases related to dire economic
conditions, in others due the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Expressing the view from Poland, Mieczyslaw Majewski, President
of The Association of the Polish Aviation and Defence Industries,
said, “Poland lags far behind the EU-15 states in economic
terms. Our new ties to NATO and the EU have given us a more
positive outlook in the aviation sector, but many of our key
players are still state-owned.”

Jaroslav Ruzicka of the Association of the Aviation
Manufacturers of the Czech Republic explained, “Before 1989,
our country was heavily involved in the production of airplanes for
the Russian market, including commuter planes, jet fighters and
commercial airliners. Then came the collapse. Since 1994 we have
been making attempts to reconstitute our industry.”

The new Member States are not without ambition. The Czechs,
explained Ruzicka, are promoting a bold vision for the production
of small aircraft in Europe, an area where the Czech Republic has
unique and impressive credentials. “In the last 30 years, no
new products have been introduced in this sector,” said
Ruzicka. “It will happen, and it will be either the Americans
or us who make it happen.”

“Riga Technical University in Latvia was a leading
institute for aeronautics studies during the Soviet era,”
said Jonas Stakunas of the Aviation Institute of Vilnius Gediminas.
Representing the Baltic States, he said, “Our region
maintains many of its strengths from that period and we are setting
up new institutional and educational initiatives, but we still face
problems when it comes to participating as full partners in
European co-operative research.”

Showing how it’s done

The workshop also featured presentation by established EU Member
States and regions, providing examples of how to succeed in an
industry dominated by a few major players operating in proscribed
geographic regions.

Jack Metthey

José Juez Director of the Aeronautics and Space Cluster of
the Basque Country explained how his group has brought together and
promoted aerospace companies in his region with the support of
local government. The key for many is the pooling of resources and
the coordination of efforts. Arnt Offringa of Stork Fokker AESP in
the Netherlands said, “ Involvement in co-operative research
projects is really only a starting point. The real result is closer
relationships with partners and this can lead to further business
opportunities further down the line.”

According to Jim Lawler, Chairman of ACARE’s Member States
Group, “There once was a feeling that the industry was a
closed shop, dominated by four countries, and that no one else
could ever hope to get in. But we see here today many models of
participation. The rough and tough reality however is that this is
not a charity industry. You will get in if you have something to
contribute. You will need to find your place, to find where your
expertise fits a demand. Your first challenge is to get to know the
industry, who the players are, and where there are opportunities in
the supply chain.”